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Evil Dead Rise is an horror film written and directed by Lee Cronin released on April 21st, 2023. Produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead Rise is the fifth film of the Evil Dead franchise overall.

Plot Summary

Cousins Teresa and Jessica, and Jessica's boyfriend Caleb, are vacationing at a lakeside cabin when a seemingly ill Jessica scalps Teresa and decapitates Caleb before levitating above the lake.

One day earlier, upset at learning she is pregnant, guitar technician Beth Bixler visits her older sister Ellie, a tattoo artist and single mother to teenagers Danny and Bridget, and child Kassie, in their home at Monde Apartments, a Los Angeles apartment complex (formerly a bank) slated for destruction in the coming weeks. The building is shaken by an earthquake while the children are in its basement parking lot, uncovering a concealed chamber. Danny investigates it, discovering religious artifacts, three phonograph records from 1923, and a strange book that he takes up to his room, believing he could possibly sell it and use the money to help Ellie. The initial record details rejected efforts by a Catholic priest named Marcus Littleton to research the book, revealed to be one of three volumes of the Naturom Demonto. The subsequent record reveals the priest continued his research in secret and recites an incantation that summons demonic entities known as Deadites.

The building's power fails and Ellie is attacked by the Kandarian Demon. She returns to the apartment in a trance, menacingly threatens her family, and dies after pleading with Beth to protect her children. Ellie's neighbors help Beth lay her sister to rest in her bedroom and search for a way out. They find that the staircase has collapsed, the elevator is damaged, and they are unable to access the fire escape before Ellie revives and attacks the family, wounding Beth and Bridget. Beth and the children lock Ellie outside the apartment after she pursues and massacres the neighbors.

Danny confesses to Beth about recovering the Naturom Demonto, and Ellie tricks Kassie into unlocking the door before attacking her. While Danny and Beth are distracted rescuing Kassie and locking Ellie out, Bridget becomes possessed via her wound. Bridget attacks Beth before turning on Danny and Kassie, who inadvertently impales her sister through the head with a broken broom handle.

Beth listens to the third record to understand how to exorcise the Deadites, but learns the priest failed and his allies were all possessed, with only complete destruction of the host stopping the Deadites. Bridget revives and fatally stabs Danny, who sets Bridget on fire before dying as Ellie infiltrates the apartment using the vents. Realizing Beth is pregnant, Ellie attempts to rip the fetus out of her, but Beth and Kassie are able to incapacitate her with scissors. Ellie fails to emotionally manipulate Kassie, who accepts that her mother is already gone.

Danny and the bodies of the neighbors are possessed, leading Beth and Kassie to take shelter in the damaged elevator. Ellie, Bridget, and Danny merge into a multi-limbed creature known as "The Marauder" and climb atop the elevator to attack the pair as the elevator fills with blood. The combined weight causes the elevator to plummet to the ground floor, allowing Beth and Kassie to flee into the parking lot. The Marauder captures Kassie and attempts to behead her with a chainsaw, but Beth returns and distracts it, and she and Kassie destroy The Marauder's body by forcing it into a wood chipper. Ellie's decapitated head taunts Beth, saying she will be a failure as a mother, prompting her to kick Ellie's head into the chipper. Beth and Kassie escape the building together.

The next morning, Jessica goes to the parking lot to leave for her vacation, where she is attacked by the unseen Kandarian Demon.

Development

The film was initially teased by Sam Raimi while promoting The Grudge in early 2020, stating that himself, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell were working with a "young filmmaker" (refraining from revealing the name) who was writing and directing the next Evil Dead project. It would not be until June 8th, 2020 that Bruce Campbell would reveal the writer/director of the film (Lee Cronin) and the film's working title of Evil Dead Now while giving an interview with Empire magazine. Campbell revealed that his character of Ash Williams would be absent from the film, and that it's story would be completely stand alone and not connected to the original trilogy, Ash vs Evil Dead, or the 2013 film directed by Fede Alvarez.

In an interview with Diabolique magazine released on June 23rd, 2020, Bruce Campbell revealed that following a new draft of the script, the film had been re-titled to Evil Dead Rise, and hoped it would be in production by 2021. Campbell also stated that the film would not take place in a cabin like the previous films. The film's setting was later officially revealed by Campbell during a Q&A in September, 2020, where he specified that it would be set in a city. This information regarding the setting had already been circulating online as a rumor for several weeks prior.

On October 22nd, 2020, Campbell was interviewed by AL.com and divulged several tidbits about the film: Rise was going to feature a female protagonist (much like Mia Allen the 2013 film), who is trying to save her family from the forces of evil, and the Necronomicon will also be featured. During an interview with The Pasadena Star on January 18th, 2021, Campbell revealed that New Line, a division of Warner Bros., had signed on to distribute Rise (New Line had previously distributed the original 1981 Evil Dead film during its initial release).

On May 26th, 2021, it was announced the film would debut exclusively on HBO Max (a streaming service operated by Warner Bros. and it's various divisions, including New Line) in the United States, and on StudioCanal's Canal Plus service in the United Kingdom. Two cast members, as well as a short synopsis, were also announced: Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan portray the lead characters, two estranged sisters who are forced to battle against legions of Deadites when they begin to appear in a city. On June 16th, the Hollywood Reporter announced that Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies and Nell Fisher had joined the cast. Principal photography commenced from June 6th to October 25th, 2021 in New Zealand. During filming, Cronin gave periodic updates on filming, and revealed that a 6500 liters of fake blood had been used on-set.

Following an overwhelmingly positive series of test screenings of the film in January and July of 2022, Warner Bros. decided to move the film from an HBO Max exclusive to a theatrical release. During the San Diego Comic Con in July, 2022, Bruce Campbell emphasized that Rise would not be connected to previous entries of the franchise, and he would make a cameo in the film as the voice of a priest on a record.

On March 22nd, 2022, the film was officially given an "R" rating by the Motion Picture Association, and on June 5th, 2022, Lee Cronin announced that all stages of the film were officially completed. On August 24th, 2022, Cronin announced via Twitter the film's premiere date of April 21st, 2023. The film's first official trailer released on January 4th, 2023.

Cast

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